This invention relates to a surgical closure method. The method of the invention is particularly useful in medical surgical procedures carried out without the formation of an incision in a skin surface of the patient.
Such procedures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,536 and 5,458,131.
As described in those patents, a method for use in intra-abdominal surgery comprises the steps of (a) inserting an incising instrument with an elongate shaft through a natural body opening into a natural body cavity of a patient, (b) manipulating the incising instrument from outside the patient to form a perforation in an internal wall of the natural internal body cavity, and (c) inserting a distal end of an elongate surgical instrument through the natural body opening, the natural body cavity and the perforation into an abdominal cavity of the patient upon formation of the perforation. Further steps of the method include (d) inserting a distal end of an endoscope into the abdominal cavity, (e) operating the surgical instrument to perform a surgical operation on an organ in the abdominal cavity, (f) viewing the surgical operation via the endoscope, (g) withdrawing the surgical instrument and the endoscope from the abdominal cavity upon completion of the surgical operation, and (h) closing the perforation.
Visual feedback may be obtained as to position of a distal end of the incising instrument prior to the manipulating thereof to form the perforation. That visual feedback may be obtained via the endoscope or, alternatively, via radiographic or X-ray equipment.
The abdominal cavity may be insufflated prior to the insertion of the distal end of the endoscope into the abdominal cavity. Insufflation may be implemented via a Veress needle inserted through the abdominal wall or through another perforation in the internal wall of the natural body cavity. That other perforation is formed by the Veress needle itself. U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,721 discloses a Veress needle that utilizes ultrasound to detect the presence of an organ along an inner surface of the abdominal wall.
A method in accordance with the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,536 and 5,458,131 comprises the steps of (i) inserting an endoscope through a natural body opening into a natural body cavity of a patient, (ii) inserting an endoscopic type incising instrument through the natural body opening into the natural body cavity, (iii) manipulating the incising instrument from outside the patient to form a perforation in an internal wall of the natural internal body cavity, (iv) moving a distal end of the endoscope through the perforation, (v) using the endoscope to visually inspect internal body tissues in an abdominal cavity of the patient, (vi) inserting a distal end of an elongate surgical instrument into the abdominal cavity of the patient, (vii) executing a surgical operation on the internal body tissues by manipulating the surgical instrument from outside the patient, (viii) upon completion of the surgical operation, withdrawing the surgical instrument and the endoscope from the abdominal cavity, (ix) closing the perforation, and (x) withdrawing the endoscope from the natural body cavity.
The surgical procedures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,536 and 5,458,131 reduces trauma to the individual even more than laparoscopic procedures. Hospital convalescence stays are even shorter. There are some potential problems with the procedures, such as the difficulty in forming a fluid tight closure of the perforation formed in the wall of the hollow internal body organ. Certain intra-abdominal operations cannot be easily performed owing to the necessity or removing large chunks of organic or inorganic material (e.g., entire kidney, gall stones). Some operations can require the simultaneous usage of many different instruments so that space along the selected pathways may be difficult to find.
The above-described procedures may be described generally as trans-organ surgical procedures, whereby a surgical operation performed on one organ is effectuated through the wall of another organ, which is at least partially hollow. Preferably such a procedure is conducted via a natural body opening communicating with the hollow organ, as described in the above cited prior patents of applicant.
Such a trans-organ procedure typically, but not necessarily, requires the closure of an incision formed in the wall of the hollow organ. Where the organ has a mucosal layer along one surface (generally on the side communicating with the natural body opening), problems may arise owing to the natural difficulty that joined mucosal tissues have in healing.